Council tenants in Reading can expect a 2.2per cent increase in rent from April.

The rise which must be rubber-stamped by Reading Borough Council on Tuesday is one per cent above the Consumer Price Index and recommended by national housing policy.

The revenue from rents is ring-fenced and has to be reinvested in the council's housing estate which also has to be self-financing.

Current weekly rents in Reading range from £83.47 for a one-bedroom flat to £129.15 a week for a house with four bedrooms. The lowest rent will go up by just over £6.

Comparative market rates in Reading are at least twice that with four-bedroom houses rented at an average of £376 weekly- three times the council rent.

The council currently has just under 7,000 homes of which 1,319 are managed by a housing association through the North Whitley PFI.

A range of improvements and upgrades are currently being carried out in a five-year programme at the five blocks of flats in Hexham Road, Whitley.

Some flats in Wensley Road, Coley Park, are to be remodelled to meet the growing demand from homeless people.

The council is budgeting to finance 1,000 new council homes over the next 30 years around 300 of which could be build on council-owned land.

This year, through the housing revenue account, the council will be investing £14.8m on improving and maintaining the housing stock - excluding the PFI properties in Whitley.

Previous investment in bulb-planting at a council estate in Southcote

And £1m is assigned specifically to energy efficiency improving boilers and heating systems.

The council aims to fit A-rated efficient boilers to all its gas-heated properties within the next six years.

Tenant satisfaction in Reading stands at about 75 per cent with 77.4 per cent saying they were satisfied overall with the quality of their home and 79.5 per cent saying they were satisfied with the service - a drop of 4.2 per cent on last year.

The proposed rent increase has been discussed and supported by tenant groups.

Councillor Richard Davies who leads on housing told the policy committee on Monday, January 19, the council aimed to build 250 new council houses in the next five years.

He said the ambitious improvement programme was set alongside £300,000 worth of budget reductions through "staff efficiencies".

He said the council would continue to support tenants who got into difficulties with the rent.

Cllr Ricky Duveen, Liberal Democrat leader, pointed out the housing waiting list stood at "10,000 odd" and said "50 homes a year for the next five years will not significantly reduce that."